Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Call for Inspirations

Hi Everyone,

If you came to see what was new last week, my sincerest apologies the week sort of evaporated completely.I didn't mean to miss my blog friends last week, I've was so involved in putting my thoughts into drawing new designs, suddenly it was Saturday! I think you'll find my mind was do just find expressing my creative site for my new lighting designs.
 

 I'm thinking about the spring season .. fresh color, lovely flowers, and pollen everywhere.


I have even had a few inspired ideas for lamp bases, but we'll save those for another day, which will be soon. For this week, there are a few artsy designs for new lampshades that I have just finished. I don't mean to jump to far ahead by showing your what I discovered while playing with design ideas and fresh colors for next spring.
 

This design comes from my well known pillow, Cocomo.

Yes, I know ... you are still thinking fall, we did just enter the fall season. But my job is to think well ahead because there is much work to be done. Once I finish the designs for new accessories, there are a lot of time consuming details and work between creating these drawings and the point where they actually become 3-dimensional table lamps. So what do you think of my accomplishments from last week?
 

This one is about simplicity, stripe drawing with block. Things that are not straight!

These 3 new table lamp designs are pending at the moment. It would be wonderful if I could get a few responses on the designs, the colors I've chosen ... etc. Don' hold back your thoughts, I am open to your opinions, even if it is criticism. The idea is to only create lamps that will be loved by everyone, so feedback is really needed.

Thank you!
Usa


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Getting Ready for 2010

Hi Everyone!

I love the fall season. Its the weather I tend to enjoy the most because it isn't hot and is not yet cold. Right now it is just over 70 degrees plus here in Sac. Shall I complain? Absolutely not! Fall is the perfect time of year, so I must enjoy every moment of while I can. Fall is just so full of new inspiration for wonderful home accessories to design.

Like this colorful new table lamp I found on the end of my pencils just recently. No longer is the world mostly green, now we have orange pumpkins and falling leaves to brighten the grass. All made more memorable by the rich taste of chocolate on Halloween and steaming from a favorite mug when the air grows crisper. Instead of a pale blue sky bleached by the heat, it is a much more vibrant hue of blue dotted with lovely white clouds that we can feel marvelous strolling about beneath.

But wait!

What am I thinking, all caught up in the wonders of autumn inspiration?

October is over and already it is days past November 1st. Now I have only 12 weeks to get my prototype products in place. Actually, it would be even better if I can get some of each of my new designs into stock.

Wow! Where did October go? Maybe we can find it again in this second new lamp design. Rich and vibrant, comfortable and inviting. What do you think?

So much for driving out into the parade of fall leaf colors. Now I have to be in the studio and get ready to show off my new designs. This is going to be a fast autumn, faster than the last one. But, the one good thing is that I will soon see all of my customers face to face again!

I hope I can get all of these finished AND get stock delivered in plenty of time for the Las Vegas show...

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Art to Light to Lighting

Hi Everyone,

I must say that I love modern art. My husband has never understood my love of all things modern ...

However, we do manage to have the decor at home both ways. A happy medium to make it both of our homes.

It is somewhat eclectic, being a mix of my thrilling modern and and his rustic accessories around the house. I have to control myself though about what wonderful new pieces I can enjoy at home. There is only so much room in the house! I can't have all of my modern inspirations to surround me with and keep.

So, maybe it is best that I decide to express my designs into my products instead.

Everyone loves our Linear table lamp so much. I have decided that my new designs will focus on graphics and colorful art.

These two acrylic lamp designs are doing very well at Pure Palette. Soon I will have more new designs coming to add even more variety and excitement for you. Pop back in to see what I am up to now soon. I think there are still some brilliant things stored up in the ends of those pencils.

There is nothing like fall. That fresh air and new wash of color Nature splashes about inspire so many new ideas that I must put into home accessory expressions.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Green Building

Hello friends of Pure Palette,


If I had a time machine, I think I would change my studies and professional degree to architecture.  I would love to learn the history behind great architecture and learn now to design beautiful, environmentally friendly buildings.


I have been meaning to write about a particularly cool building here for quite sometime now. Not only is it wonderful looking, it is a green building which makes it that much more special. Finally, I have found the time to introduce you to the CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) building located in downtown Sacramento, CA.



I think one of the reasons this new building is so appealing is that the outside of it is almost completely wrapped with greenery. Perhaps that is what makes the CalPERS structure so intriguing, because you can see plants and shrubs wrapping outside the building. It makes one wonder a great deal what the interiors would be like.


From a professional landscape designer I know, I recently learned that this is known as "anticipation of view" in the construction design world. So, yes it had me anticipating what was hidden within those living walls. Upon stepping in inside the building, we did not feel that we left outdoors behind.



The interesting thing about the CalPERS building, as a structure, is that it creates a standard model for environmental sustainability and energy efficiency for large-scale buildings.The building provides a healthy and very attractive work environment for all personnel employed there. It is so inviting inside that it is especially welcoming to visitors like we were. The entire property cannot help but to make you appreciate urban living.



Unlike a traditional office plaza, we found it features multiple outdoor terraces sprinkled throughout the complex. The cool thing about these terraces is that they offer visitors and workers easy and direct access to the sunlight and fresh air enjoyed in a lushly planted setting.

 
Landscape Architects, Hart & Howerton, incorporated trees to provide shade, minimize water use, and naturally reduce the issue of rising temperatures inside the building.